MARPOL Annex I · MEPC.312(74)

Insights for maritime operations

Regulatory updates, product news, and best practices for digital compliance in the maritime industry.

Paper vs electronic Oil Record Book: a regulation-by-regulation comparison

Both are legal under MARPOL Annex I. The difference is how each handles signatures, corrections, integrity, retention, and inspection. A point-by-point comparison.

2 June 2026 · 6 min read

Latest

Latest articles

compliance

MEPC.312(74) explained: what the IMO requires of an electronic Oil Record Book

The 2019 IMO guidelines that let an electronic record book stand in for the paper ORB, and the integrity, signing, and inspection rules a system has to meet.

2 June 2026 · 7 min read

compliance

How a Port State Control officer inspects an electronic Oil Record Book

What a PSC officer checks in an Oil Record Book, why paper books fail those checks, and how an offline electronic ORB is inspected on board in minutes.

2 June 2026 · 6 min read

compliance

Flag-state acceptance of an electronic Oil Record Book: the approval path

An e-ORB is lawful only once the flag Administration approves it. What the declaration is, what the ship carries on board, and the operator's steps to get there.

2 June 2026 · 5 min read

compliance

What changes for a fleet when the Oil Record Book goes electronic

Beyond replacing paper, an electronic ORB gives a fleet real-time compliance visibility, computable integrity, and inspection that works offline. What that means in practice.

1 February 2026 · 5 min read

Questions the articles do not answer

Talk to the compliance team about MEPC.312(74), flag state acceptance, or port state control readiness for a specific fleet.

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